Getting Started

Getting Started

WANT TO PUT money to work for the common good? Your congregation—large or small—has more to invest than you might expect. Here are three questions to get you started.

1. Where does our church bank? "Many churches choose a bank based on proximity to the church or the church treasurer's home," Andy Loving says, but it doesn't have to end there. Approach the finance committee and say, "We want to put our money somewhere that has implications for what we value as a church," suggests Loving. Find a bank that empowers economically depressed areas through brick-and-mortar locations and socially responsible loan practices.

2. Does the bank we're considering provide options for the poor? Where are the branches located? Does it loan to people or businesses who typically don't get approved by mainstream lenders? One institution Loving recommends is Self-Help Credit Union in Durham, N.C., which has locations throughout the state—and also a web-based interface convenient for members outside the area. Another place to hunt for justice-oriented banking is the National Community Investment Fund website, www.ncif.org[7], which allows you to search by location and banking practices.

3. How can our church enact justice with the money we have?Loving recommends asking this of your church or a group within it, such as a Sunday school class, in order to start a discussion about surplus capital and investing. A good resource for discussion is Ched Myers and Loving's DVD series and study guide, From Mammon to Manna: Sabbath Economics and Community Investing , available at www.chedmyers.org[8].